Foot stool



SeP t QG; 1966 w, w. 5001: j 3,271,075

FOOT STOOL Filed May 20, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l ZNVENTOR Wayne m 6000' ATTORNEY W. W. GOOD Sept. 6, 1966 FOOT STOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 20, 1965 m L g mw m 0 W ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,271,075 FOGT STOOL Wayne W. Good, Sturgis, Mich, assignor to Harter Corporation, Sturgis, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed May 20, 1965, Ser. No. 457,420 Claims. (Cl. 297439) The present invention relates to stools, and is more particularly concerned with a foot stool which is strong, light, safe to use, and one which may be readily folded into a compact package for storage or for being readily carried about from one place of use to another.

Foot stools are useful for many purposes, particularly for reaching objects which are stored on shelves positioned at elevated levels. Such foot stools must as a prime requisite be strong and safe to use. Secondarily, it is desirable that they be light and capable of being folded into a compact package for storage or for being carried. It is also desirable to provide handle means to facilitate their being carried about. Many types of foot stools are known in the art which are strong and safe. Moreover, many types of foot stools are known which are light and which may be folded into a compact space. However, foot stools which have the properties of both strength and safety, as well as compactness, have been difficult to attain.

It is an object of the invention to provide a foot stool which is strong, light, and safe to use. It is a further object to provide a foot stool which may be folded into a compact package when the stool is not in use. It is still another object to provide a foot stool of the type described which has a structure adapted to be used as a handle when the stool is in folded condition. It is further an object to provide a stool which is sufliciently compact to fit in a file drawer when not in use. The accomplishment of the foregoing and additional objects will become more fully apparent hereinafter.

According to the invention, a foot stool is provided comprising a flanged platform having flanged sheet-form leg members hingedly mounted one at each end of the platform. A limit rod is mounted at each end of the platform, the two rods serving the dual functions of a limit means for the leg members for defining their outwardmost operative position, and as handle means for carrying the stool when the leg members are in folded position. In the preferred form, the leg members are nested entirely Within the flanges of the platform to provide an extremely compact and esthetically attractive package which may be readily stored in a file drawer. When the legs are opened to their operative position, a strong rigid structure is formed upon which a person may safely stand without risk of collapse of the structure, or upon which heavy objects may be supported.

The invention in its preferred embodiment is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a foot stool according to the invention in operative or unfolded position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the foot stool of FIG. 1 in inoperative or folded position.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the inner portion of one end of the stool in operative position.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the stool in inoperative or folded conditions; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken at one end of the foot stool with a leg member in operative or unfolded condition.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings for a better understanding of the invention, wherein all the parts are numbered and wherein the same numbers are used to refer to corresponding parts throughout.

3,271,075 Patented Sept. 6, 1966 Referring to the drawings, a foot stool is shown in FIG. 1 in operative position and comprises a platform 1 having a sheet-form top member 2 and depending lateral flanges 3. A depending double folded flange 4 is provided at each end for improving rigidity. Tread strips 5 of a material such as rubber or plastic are adhesively aflixed to the surface of the top member. A leg member 6 is pivotally aflixed to each end of the platform member. Each leg member 6 comprises a sheet-form web 7 having lateral flanges 8 at each side substantially normal to the plane of the sheet-form web. The distal edge of each leg member terminates in a foot flange 9 having a turned up central portion 10. The flanges 9 are utilized both for improving rigidity of the leg member structure and for providing a contact surface which will not mar the floor surface upon which the stool is placed. The legs members are pivotally connected to the lateral flanges of the platform member by suitable means such as bolts 11 and nuts 12, as shown in greater detail in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, Additionally, washers such as lock washers (not shown) may be used. The turned-up central portion 10 is provided for grasping each leg member when it is in the folded position to facilitate opening the stool.

At each end of the platform member a transversely oriented limit rod 13 is provided having its ends afiixed to the lateral flanges of the platform member by suitable means such as rod retainers 14. A flange 15 is provided at the proximal edges of the leg members to render the structure more rigid and to engage the limit rods 13 in operative position. The limit rods are so positioned that, when the leg members are opened to operative condition, they engage and restrain the upper portion of the flanges 8 as well as the proximal flanges 15 in such a position that both leg members are disposed in downwardly divergent relationship with each other. In this position the stool can support heavy loads without collapsing or folding up. The limit rod 13 is also so posi tioned that it is spaced apart from the top member 2 and the double folded flange 4 a distance suflicien-t to permit the fingers of a hand to be inserted therebetween. When the leg members are then placed in folded condition, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, they are completely nested within the space defined by the platform member and its flange, and either of the limit rods may then be used as a handle for ready carrying of the stool.

In order to reinforce the top member to enable it to carry heavy loads, a channel member brace 16, having a generally U-form portion 17 and laterally extending flanges 18, may be aflixed to the bottom surface of the top member by suitable means such as welding.

In the preferred form, the dimensions of the leg members and their various flanges and the positions at which they are pivotally connected to the lateral flanges 3, as well as the dimensions of the lateral flanges, are such that, when the leg members are folded into the platform member, they are either completely concealed within or at least flush with the edges of the lateral depending flanges 3, as shown in FIG. 4. In this condition, the stool may be readily carried or stored in a file drawer. When the stool is subsequently opened, as shown in FIG. 1, it forms a strong, rigid, and safe support, and will readily support a person standing thereon.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction, operation, or exact materials or embodiments shown and described, as obvious modifications and equivalents will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and the invention is therefore to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A foldable stool comprising a platform member having a leg member pivotally mounted at each end thereof, said platform member comprising a sheet-form top member having depending lateral flanges at the sides thereof, each of said leg members comprising a sheetform web having a lateral flange at each side thereof disposed at substantially right angles to said web, each lateral flange of said leg members being pivotally connected at one end to the end of a lateral flange of said platform member and being tapered toward the other end, and a transverse limit rod provided at each end of said platform member having its ends afiixed to the ends of the lateral flanges thereof, the arrangement being such that said leg members are retained in downwardly divergent relationship by said limit rods in operative position, and whereby said leg members may be folded against said platform member in inoperative position and said limit rods utilized as carrying handles, and wherein in the inoperative position .said leg members are nested completely within the space defined by said plaform member and its depending flanges.

2. A stool according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of each of said leg members is provided with a foot flange for increeasing rigidity and preventing marring of the surface upon which said stool rests.

3. A foldable stool comprising a platform member having a leg member pivotally mounted at each end thereof, said platform member comprising a sheet-form top member having depending lateral flanges at the sides thereof, each of said leg members comprising a sheetfor m web having a lateral flange at each side thereof disposed at substantially right angles to said web, each lateral flange of said leg members being pivotally connected at one end to the end of a lateral flange of said platform member and being tapered toward the other end, a transverse limit rod provided at each end of said platform member having its ends affixed to the ends of the lateral flanges thereof, and a flange provided at the proximal edge of each of said leg members, the arrangement being such that said leg members are retained in downwardly divergent relationship by the engagement of said proximal flanges with said limit rods in operative position, and whereby said leg members may be folded against said platform memberin inoperative position and said limit rods utilized as carrying handles, and wherein in the inoperative position said leg members are nested completely within the space defined by said platform member and its depending flanges.

4. A stool according to claim 3, wherein a channel-form bracket is longitudinally aflixed to the lower surface of said top member for imparting rigidity thereto.

5. A stool according to claim 4, wherein the distal edge of each leg member is provided with a foot flange at its distal edge for engaging a surface upon which said stool rests, a limited central portion of each of said foot flanges being turned inwardly toward said Webs for permitting said leg members to be grasped when in folded position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,614,613 10/1952 Bushong 297438 2,829,705 4/1958 Godshalk et a1. 108-429 X 3,005,662 10/1961 Emery 297438 3,155,364 11/1964 Berg 297-439 FOREIGN PATENTS 236,593 3/ 1964 Austria. 783,026 9/1957 Great Britain.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

0 CASMIR A. NUMBERG, Examiner. 

1. A FOLDABLE STOOL COMPRISING A PLATFORM MEMBER HAVING A LEG MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT EACH END THEREOF, SAID PLATFORM MEMBER COMPRISING A SHEET-FORM TOP MEMBER HAVING DEPENDING LATERAL FLANGES AT THE SIDES THEREOF, EACH OF SAID LEG MEMBERS COMPRISING A SHEETFORM WEB HAVING A LATERAL FLANGE AT EACH SIDE THEREOF DISPOSED AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID WEB, EACH LATERAL FLANGE OF SAID LEG MEMBERS BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ONE END OF THE END OF A LATERAL FLANGE OF SAID PLATFORM MEMBER AND BEING TAPERED TOWARD THE OTHER END, AND A TRANSVERSE LIMIT ROD PROVIDED AT EACH END OF SAID PLATFORM MEMBER HAVING ITS ENDS AFFIXED TO THE ENDS OF THE LATERAL FLANGES THEREOF, THE ARRANGEMENT BEING SUCH THAT SAID LEG MEMBERS ARE RETAINED IN DOWNWARDLY DIVER- 